Cat with three legs, shotgun victim, draws plenty of interest

NORTHBRIDGE - While Tiger continues to recover from a shot gun blast at the home of James Knott Sr., at least one person has come forward to say the injured cat may be theirs.

A Thomas Avenue resident said the cat resembles at outdoor cat that they had owned.

A Mendon Road family had thought the cat might be theirs as well, but after speaking with Mr. Knott they were able to quickly confirm that Tiger was not their cat

Mr. Knott is still caring for the cat that a handyman found on his Quaker Street property earlier this month, and said this morning that he has wrestled with what he would do if the cat's proven owner were to claim the cat he has been caring for and has become attached to.

Mr. Knott, who has named the cat Tiger, took the cat to the veterinarian after it was found with a mangled hind leg.

The cat's injuries were beyond what the local veterinarian could treat, and the cat was taken to Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Grafton, where a doctor there said the cat had to be euthanized or have its leg amputated. Mr. Knott said the veterinarian also told him the cat had been shot with a shotgun and a pellet had been removed from its gallbladder.

"I said 'Fix it!'" Mr. Knott said in an interview yesterday. He did not disclose the total cost of the the cat's medical expenses.

Rushmie Nofsinger, a spokeswoman for Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, said, while she couldn't comment on specific cases, a specialty case that requires multiple surgeries could cost upwards of several thousand dollars.

The cat was hospitalized for a week and is now recovering at Mr. Knott's home.

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is also investigating how the cat was injured. If someone is found responsible for the cat's injuries, they face a felony animal cruelty charge, which is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and/or up to five years in jail.

Meanwhile, a Thomas Avenue resident said the cat resembles her cat, "Monty," which was also an outdoor cat. Her cat, however, had a distinct respiratory ailment that had been treated with steroids, which might have accounted for its plumpness.

Monty was last seen at the end of March, and would often visit other local homes before being returned to Thomas Avenue.

Contact Linda Bock at lbock@telegram.com or follow her on Twitter @LindaBockTG. Contqct Donna Boynton atdboynton@telegram.com or follow her on Twitter @DonnaBoyntonTG.